Canon 550D vs 6D

The Canon EOS 550D (called Canon T2i in some regions) and the Canon EOS 6D are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively,
in February 2010 and September 2012. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are based on an APS-C (550D) and a full frame (6D) sensor. The 550D has a resolution of 17.9 megapixels, whereas the 6D provides 20 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 550D and the
Canon EOS 6D? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors,
their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 550D vs 6D

The side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon 550D and the Canon 6D. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size,
the Canon 6D is notably larger (27 percent) than the Canon 550D. Moreover, the 6D is substantially heavier (45 percent) than the 550D. It is noteworthy in this context that the 6D is splash and dust-proof, while the 550D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses
that both of these cameras require. A larger imaging sensor (as in the 6D) will tend to go along with bigger and heavier lenses,
while more compact options are available for the smaller-sensor camera (550D).
You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 550D gets 440 shots out of its LP-E8 battery,
while the 6D can take 1090 images on a single charge of its LP-E6 power pack.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, just select a new right or left
comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and
choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The price is, of course, an important factor in any camera decision. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 550D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 67 percent) than the 6D, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison: Canon 550D vs 6D

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 550D features an APS-C sensor and the Canon 6D
a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the 6D is 160 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

With 20MP, the 6D offers a higher
resolution than the 550D (17.9MP), but the 6D nevertheless has larger individual pixels (pixel pitch of
6.57μm versus 4.31μm for the 550D) due to its larger sensor. Moreover, the 6D is a much more recent model (by 2 years and 7 months) than the 550D, and its sensor
will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of its pixel-units.

The Canon EOS 550D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 6400, which can be extended to ISO 100-12800.
The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 6D are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-102400.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). Of the two cameras under consideration, the 6D offers substantially better image quality than the 550D (overall score 16 points higher). The advantage is based on 1.7 bits higher color depth, 0.6 EV in additional dynamic range, and 1.6 stops in additional low light sensitivity. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

Camera Model

Sensor Class

Resolution (MP)

Horiz. Pixels

Vert. Pixels

Video Format

DXO Portrait

DXO Landscape

DXO Sports

DXO Overall

Camera Model

Canon 550D»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.1

11.5

784

66

Canon 550D

Canon 6D«

Full Frame

20.0

5472

3648

1080/30p

23.8

12.1

2340

82

Canon 6D

Canon 4000D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.9

11.4

695

63

Canon 4000D

Canon 6D Mark II«»

Full Frame

26.0

6240

4160

1080/60p

24.4

11.9

2862

85

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

Full Frame

20.0

5472

3648

4K/60p

24.1

13.5

3207

88

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5DS«»

Full Frame

50.3

8688

5792

1080/30p

24.7

12.4

2381

87

Canon 5DS

Canon 750D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/60p

22.7

12.0

919

71

Canon 750D

Canon 760D«»

APS-C

24.0

6000

4000

1080/30p

22.6

12.0

915

70

Canon 760D

Canon 7D II«»

APS-C

20.0

5472

3648

1080/60p

22.4

11.8

1082

70

Canon 7D II

Canon 1200D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.9

11.3

724

63

Canon 1200D

Canon 70D«»

APS-C

20.0

5472

3648

1080/30p

22.5

11.6

926

68

Canon 70D

Canon 700D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.7

11.2

681

61

Canon 700D

Canon 650D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

21.7

11.2

722

62

Canon 650D

Canon 600D«»

APS-C

17.9

5184

3456

1080/30p

22.1

11.5

793

65

Canon 600D

Canon 1100D«»

APS-C

12.2

4272

2848

720/30p

21.9

11.0

755

62

Canon 1100D

Canon 500D«»

APS-C

15.1

4752

3168

1080/20p

21.7

11.5

663

63

Canon 500D

Nikon D5100«»

APS-C

16.1

4928

3264

1080/30p

23.5

13.6

1183

80

Nikon D5100

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/30p).

Feature comparison: Canon 550D vs 6D

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The 550D and the 6D are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder.
The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the 6D offers a wider field of view (97%) than the one in the
550D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition,
the viewfinder of the 6D has a higher magnification (0.71x vs 0.54x),
so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon 550D, the Canon 6D, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

Camera Model

Viewfinder (Type or '000 dots)

Control Panel (yes/no)

LCD Size (inch)

LCD Resolution ('000 dots)

LCD Attach- ment

Touch Screen (yes/no)

Mech Shutter Speed

Shutter Flaps (1/sec)

Built-in Flash (yes/no)

Built-in Image Stab

Camera Model

Canon 550D»

optical

n

3.0

1040

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.7

Y

n

Canon 550D

Canon 6D«

optical

Y

3.0

1040

fixed

n

1/4000s

4.5

n

n

Canon 6D

Canon 4000D«»

optical

n

2.7

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 4000D

Canon 6D Mark II«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

6.5

n

n

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

optical

Y

3.2

1620

fixed

Y

1/8000s

16.0

n

n

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5DS«»

optical

Y

3.2

1040

fixed

n

1/8000s

5.0

n

n

Canon 5DS

Canon 750D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon 750D

Canon 760D«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon 760D

Canon 7D II«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

fixed

n

1/8000s

10.0

Y

n

Canon 7D II

Canon 1200D«»

optical

n

3.0

460

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1200D

Canon 70D«»

optical

Y

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/8000s

7.0

Y

n

Canon 70D

Canon 700D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon 700D

Canon 650D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

Y

1/4000s

5.0

Y

n

Canon 650D

Canon 600D«»

optical

n

3.0

1040

swivel

n

1/4000s

3.7

Y

n

Canon 600D

Canon 1100D«»

optical

n

2.7

230

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.0

Y

n

Canon 1100D

Canon 500D«»

optical

n

3.0

920

fixed

n

1/4000s

3.4

Y

n

Canon 500D

Nikon D5100«»

optical

n

3.0

921

swivel

n

1/4000s

4.0

Y

n

Nikon D5100

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The 550D has one, while the 6D does not.
While the built-in flash of the 550D is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 550D and the 6D write their files to SDXC cards. The 6D supports UHS-I cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s), while the 550D cannot take advantage of Ultra High Speed SD cards.

Connectivity comparison: Canon 550D vs 6D

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 550D and Canon EOS 6D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

Camera Model

Hotshoe Port

Internal Microphone

Internal Speaker

Microphone Port

Headphone Port

HDMI Port

USB Type

WiFi Support

NFC Support

Bluetooth Support

Camera Model

Canon 550D»

Y

stereo

-

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 550D

Canon 6D«

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Canon 6D

Canon 4000D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 4000D

Canon 6D Mark II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

Y

Canon 6D Mark II

Canon 1D X Mark II«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 1D X Mark II

Canon 5DS«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 5DS

Canon 750D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 750D

Canon 760D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

Y

-

Canon 760D

Canon 7D II«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

Y

mini

3.0

-

-

-

Canon 7D II

Canon 1200D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1200D

Canon 70D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

Y

-

-

Canon 70D

Canon 700D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 700D

Canon 650D«»

Y

stereo

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 650D

Canon 600D«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 600D

Canon 1100D«»

Y

stereo

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 1100D

Canon 500D«»

Y

mono

mono

-

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Canon 500D

Nikon D5100«»

Y

mono

mono

Y

-

mini

2.0

-

-

-

Nikon D5100

It is notable that the 6D offers wifi support, which can be a very convenient means to transfer image data
to an off-camera location. In contrast, the 550D does not offer wifi capability.

Both the 550D and the 6D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used
on eBay. The 550D was replaced by the Canon 600D, while the 6D was followed by the Canon 6D Mark II. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon website.

Review summary: Canon 550D vs 6D

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon 550D or the Canon 6D – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Reasons to prefer the Canon EOS 550D:

More compact: Is smaller (129x98mm vs 145x111mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.

Less heavy: Is lighter (by 240g or 31 percent) and hence easier to carry around.

Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.

More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (67 percent cheaper at launch).

More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2010).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 6D:

More detail: Has more megapixels (20 vs 17.9MP), which boosts linear resolution by 6%.

Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1090 versus 440) out of a single battery charge.

Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.

Easier file upload: Has wifi built in for automatic backup or image transfer to the web.

Faster buffer clearing: Has an SD card interface that supports the UHS-I standard.

More modern: Reflects 2 years and 7 months of technical progress since the 550D launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 6D is the clear winner of the contest (15 : 5 points). However, the relevance of individual strengths will vary across photographers, so that you might want to apply your own weighing scheme to the summary points when reflecting and deciding on a new camera. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges
from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera
is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

550D 05:15 6D

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 550D and the Canon 6D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest
Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 550D or the 6D perform in practice. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews: Canon 550D vs 6D

This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below provides a synthesis of the camera assessments of some of the best known photo-gear review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, and photographyblog). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge,
reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.